Stuttgart boss Bruno Labbadia has confirmed striker Ciprian Marica has been banished from the first-team squad.
Romanian to train in solitude after questioning his commitment
Stuttgart manager Bruno Labbadia has confirmed Romania international striker Ciprian Marica has been banished from the first-team squad.
The 25-year-old has been left out after quotes attributed to him which questioned whether he made the right decision in signing a long-term deal with the club three years ago.
Labbadia, who had not been including Marica in his plans earlier in the season, has been left less than impressed with the comments.
The Stuttgart boss told
Deutsche Presseagentur: "The concern of the whole team is bigger than the concern of one single player.
"Cipi (Marica) is unable to bring himself into service for the team. This is no suspension, but he will just be doing individual training separate from the team for the time being."
Meanwhile, Labbadia and Stuttgart general manager Fredi Bobic insist it is not their fault that Japan international striker Shinji Okazaki has yet to be granted international clearance.
Clear signals
The forward agreed a deal to move to the Mercedes-Benz-Arena after January's Asian Cup, but he has not been granted permission from Fifa to arrive in Germany because former club Shimizu S-Pulse claim he had agreed a contract extension.
Bobic said: "We have been given clear signals that we have done everything right. In the end it seems everything is down to their (Shimizu S-Pulse) chairman.
"We hope we will receive international clearance pretty soon."
Ex-Bolton striker Bobic has also had his say on the recent set of international fixtures after being left furious that Ivory Coast international Artur Boka sustained a knee injury which is expected to require eight weeks of rehabilitation.
The Stuttgart supremo has threatened to refuse members of his squad permission to travel to friendly international fixtures in the future.
He told
spox.com: "The club pay the wages of the players and we have the clear intention to get in touch with the Football Association of Ivory Coast.
"As a club we will be more careful in the future. We will be looking into the necessities to allow our players to travel to these matches."
